December 2012 Notable Toys — Remote Controlled

The Go Series and Disney Cars 2 - the perfect combination. The Go Series is a world class starter system for kids 8 and up. All sets include "Turbo Speed" controllers for added racing boost. There is an extensive variety of accessories for thrilling action. The track system has an "Easy to Assemble" bolt system. The street curves have red and white printed shoulders. All cars are fitted with double contact brushes. The cars are high-quality original detailed and tampo printed. They are 1:43 scale. This new Cars set includes the favorite Lightening McQueen, as well as newcomer Francesco Bernoulli. The Go Series and Disney Cars 2 - the perfect combination. Track in Porto Corso style with decorative elements. Includes 1 Lightning McQueen car, 1 Francesco Bernoulli car, transformer, connection section, 2 speed-controllers, 17.71' of track and lap-counter. The ultimate in racing in scale 1:43. Layout size 5.71' x 4.85'.
— As of 12/11/2012 this product had 3.3 out of 5 stars from 19 reviews on Amazon.com. Pros: Easy set up; fun for fans of Cars. Cons: Cars slow down over time; The brushes on the bottom of the cars need to be readjusted frequently; Pressing the speed button causes the cars to fly off the track.
— Mark Rosenblum, owner of Hobbytown in Fairfield, Conn., told TDmonthly in a May 2013 survey that Pixar's Cars was the store's hottest license.

The rotors allow for flex, so should there be a crash (an R/C heli nightmare), LitehHawk is tough enough to stand up to impacts that others simply cannot. Gyro stabilization allows LiteHawk to fly effortlessly, no "twitch", no headaches...just stable flight. The 2 in 1 Remote Control is a charger for the LiteHawk too. Simply plug the Remote into the helicopter and the on-board Lithium batteries take care of the rest.
— Marc Holcomb, owner of Toys & Co. in Greensboro, N.C., told TDmonthly in a Fall 2012 survey that they sell about 12 of these helicopters each month, making them a best selling aircraft/flying toy in the store.
— In a July 2013 survey Dean Smith, owner of JaZams in Princeton, N.J., told TDmonthly that LightHawk Helicopters are his store's best-selling electronic or battery-operated toy. "I'm selling about 12 a month," he said.

Kids control the action as Thomas puffs on his way with real cool to the touch steam. They can send Thomas forward or backward with a spin, hear whistles, fun phrases and more. Thomas does 3 special moves and comes with an easy to use remote-control.
— As of 10/26/2012 this product had 4.2 out of 5 stars from 24 reviews on Amazon.com. Pros: Durable; works on carpet and vinyl. Cons: Short battery life, remote control has limited range.

The Dream Cheeky iLaunch Thunder is a Missile Launcher made for iPod touch, iPhone, or iPad. Strike fear into the hearts of fellow cube-dwellers with the iLaunch Thunder. Wirelessly controlled by an iPod touch, iPhone, or iPad, the iLaunch Thunder combines the best of Bluetooth technology and extreme innovation with a bit of insanity…With a 270 degree horizontal rotation, a vertical flexibility of more than 40 degrees and a shooting distance of around 25 feet, the iLaunch Thunder will cover more than 1,400 square feet of their workspace. That definitely gives users more than enough coverage to declare some serious office warfare. Launch date: December 2011.

Introducing the GYRO Hercules 3.5CH Electric RTF RC Helicopter. The WORLD'S FIRST AND ONLY UNBREAKABLE RC HELICOPTER. This RC helicopter has super strong polymer frame. The Helicopter's body can take up to 200 pounds of force. You can even step on it and it won't break. This awesome Helicopter comes with the greatest advancement in Helicopter Technology, a Gyro. No more crashing, no more replacing parts, the GYRO has changed the Helicopter industry completely, making this RC Helicopter super easy to fly. Great for people of all skill levels, this bad boy features a coaxial rotor a single rear rotor for precise movement and a GYRO for increased stability whether flying or hovering. Controlling the Hercules is a breeze. It can go forward, backward, up, down, left, right and hover. What really makes the GYRO Hercules stand out is the built in gyroscope making it automatically stabilize allowing you to focus on flying instead of trying not to make it crash. This product is ready to fly, there is no assembly required. Launch date: November 2012.
Awards: 2014 TDmonthly Top Toy Debut Award

No target is safe from the pinpoint accuracy of the missile-launching Air Hogs Hover Assault Radio-Controlled Helicopter. Children can take aim and blast with the push of a button. Kids can use the arsenal of plastic missiles to attack stationary targets or engage in full on air-to-air combat. With Steady Fly Technology, kids can engage targets like never before. Turn any room into the ultimate battleground with the Air Hogs Hover Assault Radio-Controlled Helicopter. Launch date: 2012.

No terrain is too tough for the Terrain Twister vehicle. The possibilities for excitement are endless. The vehicle is equipped with pontoons sporting corkscrew-shaped treads rather than wheels that help this vehicle handle any environment. Children can conquer snow, water, dirt, grass and other tricky terrains to ride off into any adventure. Launch date: 2012.

Infrared remote control BAT-POD motorcycle with light-up wheels and SFX. Front wheel pivots right and left for turning and drifting action. Control the bike’s movements with the joysticks on the wireless remote or use control buttons to maneuver forward, reverse, left or right. Send instant commands or a preprogrammed actions to the BAT-POD via the infrared remote control. Programmable remote control with over 1000 action combo sequences. Remote requires 3 x AA and BAT-POD requires 4 x AA alkaline batteries (4 x AA batteries included for demonstration only). Battery life may be impaired. Replace with new batteries (not included) for full function play.

Equipped with aerodynamic E.T.F. Technology, the ORB is Easy To Fly and has impact shielding rendering it crash resistant. The ORB can take off from any surface and has an auto-upright design for easy crash recovery. Aerodynamic design makes it Easy To Fly and maneuver. Impact shielding renders craft crash resistant. Brilliant LED lights for an alien luminescent glow.

The Illumivor Mecha-Shark is a glowing radio-controlled predator with animated chomping teeth, a smooth moving tail and ominous sound effects. Menacing in the light, these mechanized carnivores really come to life in the DARK, when they appear to be swiftly swimming across the the floor. Illumivor Sharks are huge, measuring 18 inches from nose to tail. Control the attack with a cool Shark Fin Controller (included).

All aboard the Animal Express Train to learn about animal shapes and colors. Animal Express Train has three play modes- Learn the Color and Animal Shapes, and Find It! that are played by simply inserting the plastic animal shapes into their proper slots. Mode three allows children to control the train by using the infrared remote control to move the train forward and backward. While the train chugs along it plays melodies, the wheels move and the nose blinks. The animal shape pieces can be stored in the handy storage compartment inside the train. Animal Express Train also has an automatic shut-off feature that preserves the battery life of the required three "AA" batteries for the main unit (included) and two "AA" batteries for the remote(not included). Launch date: 2012.